Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



`April 9, 1929. J, B WEAVER 1,708,247

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed July 22, 1925 f Snowdon bfi/0b E. Wam/(ff Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED A STATES JOSEPH B. WEAVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEJASSIGNLIENTS, T0 i GYBO PROCESS CORPORATION, A CORPORATION 0F vMICHIGAN'.

APPARATUS FOB TBEATING HYDROCARBON OILS. i

'Application led July 22, 1952.5 Serial No. 45,365.

This invention relates to apparatus and process for treating hydrocarbon oils and refers more particularly to an improved apparatus and process for the production of low boiling point hydrocarbons suitable for use as motor fuel or the like. The apparatus, however, is not limited in certain of its aspects to the particular process mentioned nor is the process limited to the particular apparatus shown and described as certa-1n features of the apparatus and the process have more general application.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide an improved apparatus and process for treating hydrocarbon oils in the vapor phase; to provide an improved apparatus and process wherein the heat necessary for the vapor phase treatment is economically employed; to rovide an apparatus and process in whic the hot gases coming from the treatment of the hydrocarbon oil in the vapor phase are utilized in the heating of the oil in the liquid phase and in general, to provide a more eicient and economical apparatus and process forv treating hydrocarbon oils. y

The invention further resides in the use of the above-mentioned features in connection with apparatus and process which involves the use of steam and a suitable agent (which term isintended to cover either a catalytic agent o'r achemi'cal reagent) and in such other steps and features of constructionland arrangements and combinations of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view partly in section of an apparatus embodying my invention, and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through one of the pipes of the convertor.

In the drawings which illustrate diagrammatically an apparatus embodying my invention and one which is capable of carrying out my improved process, A designates a pipe still having an inlet A and an outlet A2 leading to an expander or expanding chamber B. The latter at its upper end is connected by the pipes B to the inlet end of the convertor C and at its lower end the expander has a pipe B2 through which the heavy residue or liquid hydrocarbons may be drawn oil'. Interposed in the pipe or line B just before it reaches the convertor is a ythe bottom tubes.

steam inlet D through which steam .under pressure is forced, together with the vapors in the pipe B', into the convertor. The outlet end of the convertor C is connected with a jet condenser or tar leg E. At the upper end the jet condenser is provided with a nozzle F towhich the make-up stock is conducted through a pipe F vfrom the tank F2. In its u a pipe leading to a fractionating or scrubbing tower H while at its lower end the jet condenser or tar leg E is provided with a conduit I running back to the inlet end A of the pipe still A. The tower H also has at its lower end a conduit H connecting with the conduit I, and at its upper end the tower H is provided with a pipe J leading to a condenser L. The lower end of the latter is connected by a pipe L to a decanter M. As the product from the condenser L contains both water and hydrocarbon in liquid form and a fixed gas, the decanter is arranged to separate these in thel following manner: At the lower end of the decanter there is a water leg pipe N for conducting away the condensed water and near the upper end a pipe O for conducting away the resultant hydrocarbon oil roduct. The fixed gas 1s conducted o through the pipe O.

In general, the construction of the con- `vertor is as follows: The pipe B which conducts the vapors from the expander B opens into the header C of the convertor. This header is divided into upper and lower sections by the wall C2 and is connected to a similar header C@ by means of pipes Q. The incoming vapors pass through the upper sets of pipes Q to lghe header()3 and back to the lower header C from which they pass through the outlet C4 to the jet condenser or tar leg E. The openings Q in the end of the pipes Q are made progressively smaller from the top toward the bottom so that the rate of flow through the top tubes is less than through This results in the contents of the upper tubes being subjected to the heat for a longer time than the contents of the lower tubes' and wil-l equalize the heating eiect due to the lower tubes being subjected to the higher heat. Other means may 'be employed for accomplishing this, for example, the cores of the agent may be made pipe C to the lower portion of the i in various cross-sections to limit the How and A produce the same result.

As shown in Figure 2 the convertor tubes I Q, are filled with the agent. This may be ferrie oxid or other suitable substance. The ferric oxid or other agent is mixed in a plastic and formed in bars S which are substantially star-shaped in cross-section. The l V.convertor C are discharged into the first chamber of the jet condenser or tar leg E.

' At the upper end of this chamber is arranged the nozzle F which is adapted to -sprayl the liquid make-up stock and commingle them with the vapors. This commingling is further assisted by the placing of metal jackstones T through which the commingled convertor vapors and make-up stock pass down to the chamber E2 beforereaching the discharge chamber E3 from which the vapors pass through the pipe J to the fractionator or scrubbing tower H.

The operation of the apparatus is best described in connection with the carrying out of an illustrative process. In this process the hydrocarbon to be treated is passed through the inlet A to the pipe still A where it is raised to a temperature of approximately 700 F., which, however, may be varied according to the characteristics of the charging stock. f

The heated oils then pass through the outlet pipe A2 under some pressure, for example, 25 pounds per square inch where they are discharged into the expander B. Owing to the sudden release of the pressure, complete vaporization ofthe li hter ends takes place and the vapors pass t rough the pipe B at approximately 600" F. to the inlet end of the convertor C. The heavy ends are drawn off through the pipe B2, any desired gravity being obtained by re ulating the degree of heating in the pipe still and the pres- 'sure in the expander. Just before reaching the convertor they are commingled with steam under pressure and the combined oil lvapors and steam vapors are then subjected to the action of the agent in the convertor under temperature of about 1100o F. and are caused to take up a certain percentage of hydrogen from the steam.

In cooling the vapors down from the high temperature of the convertor to the desired temperature for the fractionating tower I provide means for preventing the apparatus from being rendered inoperative by carbon deposits. I havediscovered that most of the carbon is deposited in cooling down from the convertor temperature of 1l00 F.

to a temperature of about 600 F. and that on lowering the temperature below that oint there is very little carbon deposit.

his discovery is utilized in providing an additional step in the process whereby the vapors coming from the condenser are caused to commingle in the tarv leg E with the make-up stock from the tank F2. In so doing, the vapors are cooled to a temperature of approximately 450o F. and the carbon is deposited in the liquid in the lower portion ofthe tar leg chamber E2. The carbon being deposited in the liquid can be conveniently removed at predetermined' times when the liquid in the bottom of the tar leg EZ-becomes too thick. A suitable clean-out door is provided in the tar leg for this purpose. In practice, it is found that it is not necessary to remove this liquid more than once in 48 hours.

The use .of the make-up stock in the jet condenser for cooling the vapors from the convertor performs another important function, namely, it permits the jet condenser to act as a topper or stripper for removing the gasoline content from the fresh stock of hydrocarbon oil and also serves todehydrate the make-up stock before it passes through the pipe I to the inlet A of the still. It also permits of a control of the end point of the vapors from the fractionating tower, to which the vapors pass from the jet condenser throu h the pipes G. The fractionating tower I may be of any well-known construction and in some instances a scrubbing tower may be substituted in place of the fractionating tower. Such vapors as will vaporize at the desired temperature, for example, at approximately 437 F. or less, pass out of the fractionating or scrubbing tower II through the pipe J to the condenser L while higher boiling point fractions are returned through the pipe H and' the pipe I to the still A for the purpose of further treatment. The oil and water vapors are then condensed in the usual manner" in the condenser L and separated as previously described in the decanter M.

From the description of the above process it' is apparent that'the temperature in the convertor necessary for the proper treatment of the hydrocarbon oil in the vapor phase is greatly in excess of that necessary in-the pipe still A. An important feature of the present invention is the utilization of the waste heat from the convertor for heating the hydrocarbon oil in the pipe still A.

inwardly to traverse the convertor tubes and then pass downwardly on the opposite side of the baille R to the out-let R2. From here the products of combustion passto the pipe still A where they are commingled with the burning gases from the irebox V and are forced bythe baiiies V to traverse the tube of the pipe still before reaching the discharge stack V2. The irebox V may be'provided With a burner l/V Which is adapted to utilize the fixed gases discharged from the pipe O although any suitable burner and any suitable source of supply of fuel may be used for heating purposes.y By t-he use of the novel apparatus above described it is possible to eiiiciently and economically treat hydrocarbon oils in the vapor phase at the extreme heat necessary for carrying on such treatment and to then utilize the products of combustion which have been employed for heating the convertor to also heat the oil in the liquid phase in the pipe still since lthe latter requires `treat-ment at a lower temperature.

'lVhile I have shown and described diagrammatically one form of apparatus, the invention is not limited to the use of the particular apparatus described nor to its use in connection With the particular process as various changes both in the construction of the apparatus or process can be made within the scope of my invention.

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil, the combination with a pipe still in which the oil is subjected to heat While in a liquid phase, of an expander in which the oil from the still is permitted to expand, of

a convertor in which the vapors from the expander are subjected to a conversion action While in the vapor phase, means for heating the vapors in the convertor to a temperature in excess of approximately 10000 F.- and means for utilizing the same products of combustion which are used to heat the vapors in the convertor at a high temperature for ,heating the oil in the still at a lower tempera? ture.

2. In apparatusfor treating hydrocarbon oil, the combination with a pipe still in which the oil is subjected to heat While in the liquid phase, an expander in which the oil from the pipe still is permitted to expand into the vapor phase, a convertor in which the vapors from the expander are subjected to a conversion action while in the vapor phase, a tar leg into which the vapors from the converter pass, a fraotionating or scrubbing tower in which the uncondensed vapors pass from the tar leg, connections between said still and expander,'expander and convertor, convertor and tar leg, tar leg and tower, and a lead from said tower and from rsaid tar leg whereby the heavier produci in both are conducted back to the pipe sti 3. In apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil, the combination with a pipe still in which the oil is subjected to heat While in the liquid phase, an expander in which the oil from the pipe stillis permitted to expand into the vapor phase, a convertor in which the vapors from the expander are subjected to a conversion action vvhile in the vapor phase, a tar leg into which the vapors from the convertor pass, al fractionating or scrubbing tower in which the uncondensed vapors pass from the tar leg, connections between said still and expander, expander and convertor, convertor and tar leg, tar leg and tower, and a lead from said tower and from said tar leg whereby the heavier products in both are conducted back to the pipe still, means for heating the vapors in the convertor to a temperature in excess of approximately 1000o F. and means for utilizing the same products of combustion for heating the oil in the still at a lower temperature.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JOSEPH B. WEAVER CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1, 708, 247.

JOSEPH B.

April l9, 1929.

WEAVER.

lt is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above nnmbered patent was erroneously issued to "Gyro Process Corporation whereas said name should have been described and specified as Gyro Process Company, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should 'he read with-ths correction therein that the same may conform to the lrecord of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 1932.

(Seal M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

